Double School Rivalry
by KuroShin Master
Summary: Karma was a transfer student, but despite that, he believed he was the best of the best at school. Well, at least until he met the rumoured prodigy, Gakushu Asano.
1. Chapter 1

**Double School Rivalry #1**

The sound of the bell echoed throughout the entire school, scattering students everywhere to their designated locations. Crowds of people blocked the hallways to the classrooms, and there was the loud noise of everyone trying to talk at the same time. Despite all the students only being teenagers and young adults, they still had somewhat big mouths and the ability to act smart towards a teacher.

Karma Akabane sat at his desk with his schoolbag already unpacked, silently watching them rush past while screaming their little heads off. Although this school was mainly meant to be only for those who were considered intelligent and mature, he doubted that they all were, judging by their stupid behaviors seen just then. So that either meant they were actually smart but acted dumb, or they bought their way into the school. It didn't matter to him though, because he believed that he was the best of the best, and that would never change.

Or so he thought.

That same day, while chilling out in his usual spot on the school roof (to be honest, he only came up there out of curiosity after a reasonable amount of comics), he heard some squealing coming from below. Puzzled, he went up to the roof's edge and peered down to see a large group of girls surrounding something or someone. When one girl got pushed down by another, he finally got to see that it was in fact a guy. Because Karma was a transfer student that only just arrived at this school a few months ago, he had still yet to memorize the faces of everyone's faces and names.

Thinking the guy being surrounded was just a simple womanizer who yearned for and enjoyed attention, he made a mental note to avoid him as much as possible. He watched the scene below for a few more seconds, disgusted, and was about to turn around and go back, when the guy suddenly looked up. There was a chance that it was only his imagination, but he swore he saw him looking up in his direction, with a faint smirk on his face. Feeling slightly disturbed, Karma took a few steps back and walked off, wondering what expression he had on his face at that moment.

"Hey, Karma, someone wants to see you!"

Karma immediately woke up startled, from a dreamless sleep after hearing someone call his name. It had been a long time since anyone had ever referred to him by his first name, so he sat there at his desk in a daze until the person called him again.

"Karma!"

This time, he immediately got off his chair and briskly walked over to a boy with pale-blonde hair and startlingly green eyes. His face wore an impatient frown and his arms were crossed, his foot tapping a tuneless rhythm on the carpet. Karma recognized him as one of his classmates, Satoshi, a popular guy who apparently only just claimed his fame last year for some bizarre reason.

"What is it?" He asked him questioningly, gazing down as he spoke. He couldn't help being taller than most of the kids his age and older, as it ran in his genes. Although he couldn't really remember his mother that well because she died when he was young; he had been told by his father that she had been an abnormally tall lady. Not that he cared that much though, since he enjoyed the sensation of looking down on people, as it made him feel superior and in total control over them.

Satoshi scowled and jerked a finger behind him, at a group of students laughing and talking around the corner of the hallway they were in. "_He _wants to see you." He spat in a completely impolite way, making Karma try his best not to show his disgust because of it. Once again, he wondered how such people were even able to attend a school like this one.

The shorter guy suddenly grabbed Karma's school tie and yanked it hard, so their faces were close to each other before snapping, "Listen up real closely. I have absolutely no idea why Asano wants to see you, but that doesn't mean you can act all high and mighty afterwards, got it?" And with that, he released the tie and shoved him forwards in the direction of the noise, before stomping away down the hallway.

Although Karma could've just walked away and not listen to whatever this Asano person had to say, he stayed because he was curious. And besides, he had heard of that name before and had always wanted to see what he was like. There were many rumors about him, like how he was the most perfect person in the entire world, he always received full marks for everything and that his father was apparently the principal of this school. It wasn't much, but it was already enough to motivate him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Double School Rivalry **

"He's here."

The group of students suddenly stopped talking amongst one another to stare at Karma as he walked towards them in a casual manner. However, as soon as he stopped right in front of them, they began whispering again, like as if they didn't acknowledge his existence. Disgusting humans, they deserve to die; Karma thought, fighting the urge to say it out loud.

"Silence!"

A male student bearing pale blonde hair and a smart-looking uniform took a step towards him and ordered the students to leave his presence. Karma immediately remembered that he was the one he had seen from the roof that morning, surrounded by a dozen squealing girls. Feeling sick in the stomach, he was about to turn around and walk away until the blonde boy called out.

"Karma Akabane!" This was the first time someone his age had ever referred to him by his full name, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"That's your name, right? I'm Gakushu Asano." Gakushu held out an outstretched hand, a cheery but somewhat menacing grin on his face. Hesitantly, Karma accepted his hand and shook it. He should've known that this boy was Gakushu from the start, because of the prideful look in his eyes and the way he talked. Just like a posh gentleman.

Noticing that there was a feeling of awkwardness between the two of them when the redhead didn't say anything, Gakushu decided to start up a light conversation. "I've heard that you're a new transfer student that excels in almost everything." He said, looking at Karma questioningly.

"… That's right." He replied without thinking. Realizing what he had just said, he held his breath, wondering what was going to happen next. He was a proud person as well, and he didn't mind boasting, but Gakushu was a different case. If he told his father, the principal, bad things about him, he could get expelled. And transferring schools was a real pain in the ass.

Gakushu's eyes slightly narrowed at Karma's words, but he didn't say anything else about it.

"I see. I look forward to seeing your results in the next exam then." He said instead, laughing. There was a hint of an edge to his laugh, so Karma could tell it was a forced one. He probably wanted to sneer or mock him.

"And perhaps, see if I can beat you." Gakushu added in, before giving a small wave and walking off to rejoin the group of students from before.

The whole conversation with him gave Karma a bitter taste in his mouth, wishing he had never gone to see him at all. He was, however, looking forward to seeing whether he could get a higher score in the near future.

**Author's Note: **

Yeah I'll be continuing this, but I am currently on the fence on whether I should make this a yaoi fanfiction between Gakushu and Karma, or just have them as rivals. Your opinions are greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Double School Rivalry**

There was only a week before the exam, and although Karma was confident that he would be able to get full marks, there was an uncomfortable feeling inside his stomach.

He had been able to successfully pass all his tests prior to the coming one, but what if he didn't manage this time? There was a possibility after all, and after being challenged by that self-conscious genius...

Studying was something he despised and had never had the need to do before. All the information he gained from class was enough, and when combined with his high IQ, he always received good exam scores. So studying just for this one was out of the question for him.

But Gakushu didn't say anything about getting equal results, so perhaps if they both received full marks, things would be okay. Not that he wanted to be tied with him though, he would hate that.

Deep in thought, Karma wandered around the school in search of an empty room not in use. He had almost all of the school's layout memorised, but there were still a few bits and pieces missing from it. Finally finding one, he looked around and entered it in a causal manner, as to not draw any attention to himself.

He sat down behind the open door; for some reason, he had always liked the dark and lonely corners. Taking out a small notebook and pen, he began wondering what he should do about his situation.

All of a sudden, he heard voices coming from down the hallway. Frozen in the spot, he made his breathing as silent as possible. The voices became louder as the people continued on walking. Until they stopped just outside the room he was in.

"What are you going to do? You know him, he could get 100%."  
"I know."  
"What if he defeats you?"

Someone's fist pounded into the wall, creating a dull thud as the two connected.

"Shut up. I will win. But..."

Karma could feel his heart thumping at an incredibly fast rate. He thought that it would suddenly jump out of his chest any time now. The voices... He knew who one of them belonged to.

"Just in case... What do you say about cheating?"  
"Cheat? Would you father approve?"  
"Who cares what he has to say. It's not like he has to find out about this."  
"Then what's your plan, Gakushu?"

Karma's mouth curled into a slight smirk. He should've known that he was just the type of person who would go to great lengths to get whatever he wanted. Even to the point of cheating.

"Well, for starters, you and the rest of my loyal followers can try and get him injured without raising suspicion. That way, he can miss out the test. But even so, he may still have to do it on return, so..."

The red-haired teen held his breath, waiting to see what was next. Injuring him was no doubt incredibly lowly of him, and his hatred for the blondie was growing.

"Come on, I'll tell you later."

And with that, the two of them left, the sounds of their footsteps echoing throughout the corridor.

"Dammit!" He cursed, getting out from behind the door. But there was a wide smirk on his face as he did so, and thousands of ideas and possibilities swirled around inside his mind.

"Foul-play? Hah! Two can play at that game..." He whispered to no-one in particular, putting his hands in his pockets and walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Double School Rivalry**

"Akabane, please pay attention."

Karma straightened up with a jolt, earning a few whispers and chuckles of amusement from the other students. Ignoring them, he did as he was told and kept his eyes on the teacher, although his eyes kept threatening to close each second that passed.

He didn't get enough sleep last night, but there was a good reason for it. He had stayed up almost all night devising the perfect plan to rival Gakushu's own one. Now the notebook he had bought just last week was completely filled up, with barely any empty pages left for anything else. Not that it mattered though, since there was a newsagency just down the road.

The teacher began passing out worksheets to each of the students, before returning back to her desk to write the next exam. Smiling to himself, Karma took out his pen, and his work was finished a few minutes later. He wasn't in Class B for nothing after all.

Standing up, he made his way over to front of the room with his completed sheet, pretending not to notice the stares everyone was giving him. As he stood in front of the room, he caught sight of the teacher slipping something small and silvery into one of the pockets of her jacket. A key. Most likely the one to the drawer containing the test papers.

Half an hour later, Karma was standing outside the staffroom waiting for his teacher to come out. No-one else was around, apart from all the adults inside the room, which was just perfect. As soon as the door opened and he caught a glimpse of his target, he took a few steps forward, crashing into her. He had made sure that what he just did looked like a complete accident, and before she could recover, he quickly reached into her left pocket, praying that it was the right one.

His hands closed around something metal and he gave a sigh of relief, tucking it safely into his own pocket. Luckily he had learnt the basics of thievery…

"Ah, I'm sorry, sensei!" He stood up and reached out a hand to help her up, an expression of false guilt showing on his face, although it looked genuine to the teacher who accepted the apology without any trouble at all.

After being waved off, Karma made his way to the classroom and snuck inside after checking whether there was anyone inside, which there wasn't. But even so, he made sure that his walking to the teacher's desk looked casual and occasionally pretended to be searching for something on the floor, like as if he had lost an item during class. As soon as he reached the drawers, he immediately duck down and hurriedly inserted the key into the lock, before taking out what he hoped were the test papers and took pictures of them. After returning them, securing the lock and making sure nothing was out of place, he proceeded to return to the staff-room, and slipped the key back into its original place inside his teacher's jacket.

"Kishishi… With this, half of my plan is complete…" He smiled to himself, but he couldn't help wondering whether cheating just to beat Gakushu was a good idea. But then he remembered that the other boy was being unfair too, so why shouldn't he?

As he walked out of the staffroom deep in thought, he failed to notice the cause of such thinking making his way towards him, with his fellow followers close behind.

"What were you doing in there?"

Karma turned around to face Gakushu and narrowed his eyes immediately at the mere sight of him. Who knew that he could hate a single person this much?

"Nothing. I was only asking my teacher about the conditions of the upcoming test." He replied with a shrug. Hopefully, the blonde bastard wouldn't actually go in and see whether he had been lying or not, otherwise his whole plan would be exposed.

"Hm… I see…" Gakushu's eyebrows were raised, which meant that he found it rather suspicious. But he simply went off without saying anything else, leaving Karma standing there confused.

No doubt that he was planning something. Not that he hadn't already done so, of course.

**Author's Note:**

Okay, sorry this one was a bit /a lot/ late, I had been caught up in things like assignments and house chores… ;w;

Oh and regarding Karma's plan… I know it's a bit lame, but I'm not smart like the author of Deathnote so I can't come up with crazy schemes and stuff so… yeah… D:


	5. Chapter 5

**Double School Rivalry**

There was just one day left before the exams, and Karma had made sure to memorize as much as he could from the test papers he had 'stolen'. Although he was in a cheerful mood most of the time, he still remained alert wherever he was in the school. Everyone around him made him wary, thinking that they would suddenly pounce on and attack him. He cursed Gakushu for causing him to become like this, although the blondie probably didn't know that he had been eavesdropping on the conversation.

But since the exam was tomorrow and nothing yet had happened, Karma had a feeling that Gakushu had been lying. Perhaps he only wanted to make him wary and nervous so he would fail. Perhaps he had known all along that he had been listening in.

The redhead continued to think that way while walking through the school corridors. Shouts and warnings could be heard from behind him, and curious, turned around to see a trolley heading towards his way. There was no-one in or pushing it, and it was speedily shooting down the corridor.

With his heart in his throat, he quickly dodged to side, getting his leg cut by sharp edges on the trolley as it wheeled past him. Face pale, he fingered the fresh wound, silently staring as the blood dripped down onto the ground. He waved off a girl who offered to help him to the infirmary, preferring to just stop the bleeding with some tissue by himself. It wasn't a deep cut after all.

But as he limped to his classroom, there was one thought in his mind. _I could have been injured badly. Or even killed._ He had no doubt that it was the blonde bastard who planted the trolley, and he knew for sure now that he was serious about the competition, to the extent of actually wanting to _kill _him.

Gritting his teeth, he made his way over to his seat and sat down, ignoring the other students as they tried to question him about the trolley incident. He wanted all this to be over right now, but it was too late to quit. His pride wouldn't allow him to. And he knew that Gakushu and his followers would laugh at and torment him by calling him a coward for the rest of his school days if he did.

He would not quit. _Ever._

* * *

_"Have you got the photo?" A voice asked, the question ending with a soft chuckle as the person threw a pen into the air, catching it neatly in between his fingers._

_"Of course." A second person replied in a monotone voice almost immediately after the last word came out of the pen catcher's mouth._

_"Good. That means the plan will be well under way."_

* * *

The classroom was full of nervous laughter and chatters as the time for the exam to start drew closer and closer. At a table near the back, Karma simply observed everyone trying to cram in some last minutes of study-time. A relaxed smile was plastered across his face, feeling superior because of the fact that he was certain he would get full marks. He had stayed up until midnight last night, double checking that he remembered everything on the test.

There was a creak as the door opened and all the students immediately became silent. The teacher walked in with a bundle of papers in her arms and she gave everyone a reassuring smile.

"Alright class. I know you have studied very hard, and I know you're nervous. But I'm sure you all will be able to pass successfully. Now without further ado, I will hand out the test papers. Once everyone has gotten it, are you able to start." She started handing out the booklets to each person, talking at the same time.

"Normal test rules apply to this one. No cheating, no scribbling unnecessary things on the paper, calculators may be used and make an attempt to answer all questions." The teacher went back to her desk, hands empty.

"Now start!"

Karma stared at the booklet in front of him. After writing his name, he flipped the page over and smirked. The questions in here were the same as the ones he had memorized.


	6. Chapter 6

**Double School Rivalry**

Pencils and pens cluttering against the tables' surfaces could be heard as the test dragged on, as well as several sighs and groans of exasperation from all the students. While everyone else seemed to be panicking, Karma on the other hand, was speeding through the test with ease like as it was nothing. Just half an hour later, the redhead was all done and ready to hand it in. He knew he was supposed to check it once or twice, but he disliked doing such things. Why bother when all his answers were going to be 100% correct?

He spent the rest of the period sitting there and twirling his pen around in the air, earning glares from students that he simply ignored. Time seemed to go slower than it usually did, although he knew it was only because of the fact that he had nothing to do at the moment. As soon as the teacher announced that the test was over, he raised his arm to indicate that he wanted to hand his papers in right now. Once all the booklets had been collected, the students began chatting amongst one another until the bell went.

It might've been only a coincidence, but as soon as Karma stepped out of the classroom, he caught sight of his rival standing only a few meters away, like as if he had been waiting for him. Acting like nothing wrong or out the ordinary was happening, Gakushu made his way towards him, the usual snobbish smirk on his face."Hey, Akabane. How do you think you went on the test?" He asked, arms crossed and chin held high in a way a king would to show he was more superior.

Knowing he had no choice but to answer, Karma simply shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Yeah I did alright. I think I'll only get 100% though." There was obvious sarcasm in his voice as he did so, most likely done to irritate the blondie.

Narrowing his golden eyes, Gakushu opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when it seemed he couldn't think of something witty to respond with. "…I see…" He finally said, although he didn't sound too impressed or happy about it. "I'll be…Waiting for our results to come out then." And with that, he walked away, leaving Karma more amused than confused this time. He could remember how this wasn't the first time something like this happened, and that he was always left confused each time the blondie left him alone.

"Huh. Whatever." He grumbled, tucking his hands into the pockets of his trousers and heading the opposite way to his locker. When he finally got there, he saw someone standing in front of it, although the person seemed to be pacing around rather than just standing still, jet-black hair covering most of his face.

"Rentarou?" As soon as that word escaped from his mouth, the person turned around, his deep, blue eyes lighting up upon seeing him. The guy in front of him was probably his one and only friend, his senpai. It had been like that for some time, despite the fact that his friend was now in the lowest class possible in his grade – Class E. If anyone ever saw them together, there would be a ruckus.

"Oh hey, Karma! Uh… I was waiting for you but now that you're here, let's go somewhere else to talk." Rentarou whispered urgently, gently tugging the redhead's arm to indicate that he was in a hurry.

A moment later, they were both standing on the school rooftop, far away from all the other students and teacher below them. No-one else was around so it was a perfect place to talk about important, secretive things. There was not a single cloud in sight, leaving the sky perfectly blue, and there was a slight breeze rustling through the trees.

"So what is it?" Karma asked his friend, taking a seat on the concrete floor and crossing his legs together. Judging from how wary Rentarou had been when they were making their way up here, it was probably something unpleasant.

"It's… Regarding you and this other boy… Uh… Blonde hair I think it was." The older of the two mumbled, trying to recall what he had been meaning to say.

"Gakushu?"

"Yeah, that's right. It involves him and a photo of something."

Even though it was just a harmless 5 letter word, shivers still ran down his spine upon hearing it. Did that mean the show-off had taken a photo of him doing something? Like what? Perhaps… He let out a strangled gasp as he remembered something. The test. What if Gakushu had seen and taken a picture of him cheating with the exam paper? It wasn't like he had made anyone keep a look-out for people coming near the classroom at that time, so it was possible. If his assumptions turned out to be true, then he could be in deep trouble if the photo had been shown to any of his teachers. Or worse, the principal.

"Karma? Are you okay?"

The voice shook him back to reality and he quickly nodded in response. He had to find the picture and dispose of it immediately.

"Say, Rentarou. I don't really care how you heard about it, but is there a chance you know where the photo is?" He questioned, slowly getting up into a standing position and stretching his arms.

"Um… I think so. Gaku- whatever his name has it hidden in his classroom." Rentarou answered with almost no hesitation, indicating the fact that he was mostly certain about it. "I have a feeling you want it, right?"

"That's right, you're my one and only friend after all, so I'd appreciate it if you did. Be careful though, you're a Class E student."

"Haha, thanks, I will."

Karma smiled secretly to himself. There was a possibility his senpai could get found out, but if that was eliminated, then the photo could definitely be retrieved easily. It was a simple two-man job, and with him part of the team, it was bound to be a success.


	7. Chapter 7

**Double School Rivalry**

"Congratulations, Akabane, for receiving the highest score in this class with 100%!" The teacher applauded as she handed him back his test paper. Nodding a polite thank you, Karma suppressed the triumphant smirk that threatened to make an appearance as he tucked it away inside his bag. Once again, he ignored the jealous glares from the classmates around him. It was their fault for not being as clever and sly like him after all.

Having gym next period, he made sure to grab his sports bag from the locker as he made his way down to the changing rooms. But, just before he could reach his destination, he was stopped by a certain someone who sported blonde hair. "Full marks? That's pretty impressive. No-one has ever gotten the same score as me before…" Gakushu smiled in a mocking way, leaning in forwards in the red-head's direction.

"…Unless of course, you had _cheated_."

All color seemed to drain from Karma's face as he slowly opened his mouth, not knowing whether to protest against it or just go with the flow. However, he made an assumption that Gakushu was probably expecting him to be surprised and break down, so he decided to go with the second option. Letting out a nervous, shaky laugh, he tucked away a stray piece of hair that had been covering his eyes and responded with, "And what about it…?"

This earned him a glare from the other male, leaving him satisfied with his reply. Still feeling a little awkward with the conversation though, he made an attempt to get away and hastily added in, "Ah, you see… I really have somewhere to be right now, so if you would excuse me…" He took a step backwards and was about to walk off when his rival suddenly grabbed onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Not so fast, Akabane."

A photo was thrust into Karma's face, and he could see that it was of someone crouching in front of the teacher's desk. It was quite blurry, but anyone could see that it was him if they looked close enough. Horrified, he tried to grab it out of the other's hands, but Gakushu seemed to know what he was thinking and held it high out of reach, switching it to the other hand every time Karma was close to getting it off him.

"Give it to me, you bastard!" He snarled, growing more and more panicky with each second the photo remained in its current owner's hands. If he failed to get it now… Who knew what it would be used for in the future? Blackmail seemed to be the most likely possibility.

"Bastard? Then I guess that means you're a cheater. Although that already is true." Gakushu smirked in reply, tauntingly waving it around in the air. "Hm… How about we make a deal?"

"A deal?" That word sounded like bad news to Karma as he stopped jumping up and down unsuccessfully like some sort of idiot. But then again, almost everything that came out of the other male's mouth was bad news. And besides, making a deal with that kind of person would surely have a negative outcome in the end, no matter what sort it was.

The principal's son smiled cheerfully, even though to Karma's eyes, it seemed more menacing and sly. "That's right. How about you turn yourself in so _he_ doesn't get hurt?" Once he had finished his sentence, he clicked his fingers together and the door behind the two of them opened. Inside, there was a boy with a knife held up to another's neck, the weapon dangerously close to coming in contact with the skin.

"R-Rentarou!" Karma gasped, instantly hurtling himself forwards in an attempt to rescue his senpai. However before he could come close to doing so, he was violently jerked back and almost tripped over his feet. His friend must've somehow gotten caught by the blondie's followers while trying to get the photo back for him. And now Rentarou was in that sort of situation with his life on the line…

"He has nothing to do with this!" The redhead snapped furiously, immensely guilty with himself. It was his fault that this had to happen, so he was the one who had to solve and fix it without dragging along unnecessary people.

"Is that so? Then tell me, what was he doing rummaging around in my locker and looking triumphant when he found… this?" Gakushu waved the photograph around again, seeming to enjoying mocking the other male before him.

Karma was left with no reply, and it wasn't like he had been there at the scene during the time, so there was only one thing left to do now. With a yell, he somehow got himself free from his rival's grasp and dashed inside the classroom, surprising the enemy that was keeping his senpai hostage. Now that the grip on the knife was loosened, he was able to fling it away and push the boy down onto the ground. Seeing that he was free, Rentarou gave one sympathetic glance to his savior before fleeing the room, past a scowling Gakushu.

The hero seemed to not have noticed that little act just then, as he was too busy throwing kicks and punches at the enemy, swearing at him in between each one. "To hell with you two! I'll never forgive you both!" He cursed, landing one final hit at his target before slumping down onto the ground, too exhausted to move any longer.

"What's going on in here?"

Although that voice made Karma instantly freeze, he forced himself to slowly look up to face his teacher. "I… Uh…" He turned the other way to see Gakushu's follower lying on the ground in a bloody heap. He wasn't dead of course, but anyone could see that he had taken quite a beating.

"It was Akabane who did it." The blondie spoke up, making his ways towards the teacher and handing her the photo. It was already obvious what was in the photo, and now that she seen it, it was too late for the redhead to redeem himself anymore.

The worried look on the teacher's face instantly transformed into one of anger and hurt upon seeing the proof. "Akabane? What have you got to say about cheating in the test and hurting a fellow student?" She asked in a stern voice, hands on hips as she gazed down at him in an imitating manner.

"Gakushu–" Opening his mouth, he tried to explain just what exactly what happened, but to no avail as his teacher simply wouldn't listen to him upon hearing the principal's son's name. He supposed it was one of the privileges of being who Gakushu was, if money and bribing was involved.

"Because of your actions, you are to no longer be in my class. You are to be suspended for 2 months and move down to Class E during your return."


End file.
